MARIETTA — The mayors of Cobb’s six cities have different positions on whether their jurisdictions should become certified under a federal program that identifies illegal immigrants on the payroll.

Last year the Cobb Board of Commissioners agreed to become certified with the federal IMAGE program, which stands for ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers.

County spokesman Robert Quigley said that process should be completed in the next few months while the county is waiting on final approval from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The county has 4,200 full time employees and 850 part time employees.

On Feb. 26 the Board of Commissioners may vote on a proposal by Commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Bob Ott that would require contractors doing business with the county to also apply for IMAGE certification.

Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin said he wants to see his city achieve IMAGE certification as well as the contractors with whom Marietta does business.

“As we were early participants in E-Verify and happy with such, I personally think that Marietta adopting the IMAGE certification is an excellent way of staying in compliance,” Tumlin said.

Tumlin said it’s not enough just to have city employees be IMAGE certified because city contractors represent the city as well. Contractors, in turn, hire subcontractors, who would also have to certify themselves and their employees if working on a city project.

“As a city we use federal contracts, do a lot of DOT contracts, we work with a lot of different people, and I think we have a duty to make sure the subcontractors are in compliance also. They vicariously represent us whether they’re on the list or not.”

Powder Springs Mayor Pat Vaughn said she wants her City Council to discuss the matter at their Wednesday meeting. Vaughn said she believes Powder Springs should seek IMAGE certification, but she wants to learn more about it first.

“We need to know the ins and the outs,” Vaughn said. “Let’s say that we do find something amiss. What do you do at that point for an employee you’ve had, say, going on 20 years or 10 years or something? Those are things we have to discuss.”

Vaughn said she is working on securing an expert such as an ICE agent to attend the meeting to help the Powder Springs Council better understand the program.

Acworth, Kennesaw not buying in

Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood said Wednesday his city has no plans to seek IMAGE certification.

“We do not have any plans at this point to implement IMAGE certification to our employees or our contractors,” Allegood said. “We are basically using the E-verify and are compliant with everything as far as that goes, and at this time our staff and our City Council are not discussing any plans to even move forward with something like that.”

Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews said his city has no immediate plans, either.

“I’ve personally been sitting back watching the county on this, and we’ll make whatever decisions we need to make after the county has taken action,” Mathews said. “There’s not been a big push for us to do anything at this point from anywhere. But it’s not that we’re avoiding it because we’re not. It’s just not on the radar at this point.”

Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins said he hasn’t discussed the matter, but was open to considering it.

“If we need to do it, we’ll do something. I’m not sure what,” Jerkins said. “We don’t want to be doing anything illegal.”

Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon said he was not opposed to seeking IMAGE certification, provided it didn’t cost the city anything or duplicate something the city was already doing.

“If it doesn’t cost any money, I don’t have a problem with us doing it, but I would need to learn more about exactly what it is and why we would be doing it, and then if it did show that we have employees that are not here legally, that they’re illegal residents, then what I want to know is how did we employ them to begin with. Why didn’t the system we have in place now work?”

King takes swipe at Bacon

Immigration activist D.A. King of the Dustin Inman Society answered Bacon’s question about how a government could employ an illegal immigrant.

If Bacon has illegal immigrant workers on the city’s payroll, they were hired before the use of E-Verify with false or stolen ID or were able to slide through the E-Verify system with fake or stolen ID. King said E-Verify only goes forward from the date of authority to use the system, not backwards for existing employees. And it is not foolproof. That’s why the Obama administration recently streamlined and improved the IMAGE system.

“IMAGE audits expose use of stolen and fake ID,” King said. “I suspect that is regarded as a negative to many entrenched political bosses in Cobb. It certainly is the case with Boss Lee.”

King said illegal immigrants lie on their I-9 forms every day just as they use stolen ID on I-9 forms.

“Why am I not surprised that Mayor for life Max Bacon doesn’t seem to know that?” King said.

Bacon barks back

Bacon took a few swipes at King, noting that adopting IMAGE would presumably take care of the illegal immigrant problem, “until D.A. King finds something else we need to be doing.”

Bacon also questioned what King does for a living.

“I need all the help I can get, but I’ve had some pretty radical people come down here and make a lot of statements that are untrue about people from different countries, and they’re not true, and they’ve used D.A. King’s name, and it makes me wonder about his credibility,” Bacon said, laughing. “D.A. King needs to get a life. I’m going to send him back to the country he was born in, which was the country of euthanasia and see if we can’t get him back there as soon as possible.”

In response, King referred to Smyrna as a Mecca to many illegal immigrants and the people who employ them.

“I will pass his un-medicated insults on to the members of the Dustin Inman Society board of advisors,” King said. “Meantime, anytime Mayor Bacon wants to confront me face to face – and I do mean anytime, I can meet him. For the record, I was born on an Air Force base in South Dakota to proud American citizens whose great grandparents immigrated here lawfully.”

King went on to say, “I will certainly be happy to inform Mayor for life Bacon if I find any other no-cost programs to save jobs for Americans – including real immigrants. Funny, many of us are very curious about everything Bacon does for a living as well. I live on personal funds and donations. Maybe Bacon wants to donate?”

It is amazing to me that all of this energy is expended on a program dubbed appropriately "Image" because that is what it is--a mirage. Why waste the time when the very people it is targeting will soon be legally able to work here, since, thank God, the rest of the nation is coming to its senses,including Repubs, Dems, Evangelicals, Conservatives, to enact Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

It will be interesting to see who King & his cronies manipulate poor white folk to target and scapegoat again. Or maybe, just maybe, since he says he loves Mexicans and other people of color, he will join with us to welcome and help them become a part of our community. (Thank you Mayor Bacon and other leaders with the courage to do that already, regardless of their status, and due to the simple fact that they are fellow human beings, in spite of the bullies. That is true leadership in the American spirit!)

You just showed how close-minded and hate-filled you and your cronies are. For your information, I personally know of many people that write out here defending Mayor Bacon and Smyrna. We all have just as much right to write out here as you do, except with a name like "mafia," I guess you think you and your cronies rule. This is an open forum; not just open to Smyrna haters. You also show your character by name-calling people idiots that don't agree with you. Don't we teach children not to call people names? Are all the smear Smyrna rants written by you under many aliases? If it isn't already obvious to you, may I point out the Mayor has many, many, many more supporters than he does haters, which is why he has been ELECTED by majority vote for so many years. You just hate that, don't you? May I suggest you purchase a punching bag or a dart board or something to use to vent your obvious frustration at those that don't agree with you. Smyrna is thriving. You just can't see past the negative to look at the positive. Mayor Bacon is a well respected leader and has been for many years. It really hurts you to hear this, doesn't it, but the majority of people in Smyrna don't agree with you. The evidence is in the votes, not in sound-offs to the MDJ.

DA King Watch

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February 11, 2013

DA King is a convicted felon, a con artist who pays homeless people to attend his rallies,and tries to bully anyone who disagrees with him with racist rants, insults and lies about them. A quick google search will document his overtly racist rants,hatred of hispanics and affiliation with overtly racist organizations and publications. Conservatives would be well advised to distance themselves from this toxic individual. Like any cowardly bully, he goes after the most vulnerable in our society, since black people are now off-limits.

King has struck a nerve huh? Tell us, does King hate the black Americans and Hispanic Americans who are on the board of the Dustin Inman Society? Does Mexico hate hispanics when they deport all of the poor people looking for a better life back to Central America? Is this the best you can do to defend Max Bacon? Don't you kjnow that King writes about his gambling conviction in 1977 and that you howls are only helping him?

What race exactly is "illegal alien"? What exactly are the meds that Max Bacon seems to have lost? Is this you Tim? Helen? Rich?

Oh Kevin

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February 11, 2013

I suspect this was written by that mental midget Kevin Foley - Oh, Kevin, we see and hear you and you don't matter. You couldnt qualify to shine King's shoes.

anonymous

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February 10, 2013

May I remind people Mayor Bacon is Mayor Bacon because Mayor Bacon was voted by the majority to be Mayor Bacon. To repeat myself, Mayor Bacon won the votes. You bitter people need to get over it and move on. Your bitterness does show, you know that, don't you?

WATCH OUT D.A. KIng! Max Bacon will come after you like he did little Mary Kirkendoll!

In her suit, Kirkendoll alleged that her 2010 arrest had been orchestrated in retaliation for her prior antagonistic encounters with Smyrna officials in an ongoing political dispute with the city.Kirkendoll had accused local government of ignoring immigration laws by allowing illegal immigrants to work on city construction projects. During a March 2009 council meeting, Kirkendoll tried to give Mayor Max Bacon a flag of Mexico and asked him which flag he wanted to be flown over City Hall, the suit said. Bacon did not accept the flag and ruled her out of order.

A month later, Kirkendoll was cited for violating a city ordinance that made it a crime to “behave in any way contrary to public peace or morality to the disturbance of any citizen of the city.” The charges were later dismissed, and the ordinance has since been repealed, Counts said.

Kirkendoll was immediately put under arrest and then jailed for more than two hours. Later, she filed a federal lawsuit, alleging her free speech rights had been violated and that she had been falsely arrested and imprisoned.

In 2012, the city’s insurance carrier agreed to pay $85,000 to Kirkendoll to settle the litigation, city spokeswoman Jennifer Bennett said. The city was not involved in the carrier’s decision to settle, she said.

“I hope that the city and mayor got the message and that no one else will ever be arrested for simply speaking out during a public meeting,” Kirkendoll said

Tell it like it is. Mary K. openly cursed. You left out that little detail, which is actually what got her arrested. Mary K. lives a bitter life of hatred as evidenced by her continual comments out here slamming Smyrna. I pray for her soul that she will get some peace in life and look beyond Smyrna for her happiness. Before your paranoid illusions kick in, I am not anyone's crony and I don't discuss Mary K. with anyone. She is not worth my time. Just wanted to add the little fact you left out that Mary K. cursed in the meeting, which is why she was arrested.

anonymous

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February 11, 2013

Kirkendoll is just full of vinegar for Smyrna. Kirdendoll doesn't operate on facts. Her beloved Gwinnett County reported 20.5% Hispanic residents; Cobb County reported 12.5% Hispanic residents. Kirdendoll thinks anything that happens to her is due to this imaginary vendeda that she imagines is out to get her. Nobody cares about Kirdendoll and her hatred. Let her rant all she wants; myself and others that love Smyrna will rebut her comments when they are wrong, but that is all we care about Kirdendoll. Kirdendoll can speak out; why can't we? Kirkenoll has a persecution complex that only a shrink could possibly cure.

anonymous

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February 11, 2013

Who is Counts?

city of saints

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February 11, 2013

She cussed?

Openly? In public?

In front of God and everyone?

Oh my goodness, she surely must be a witch!

She must be banished from the city at once!

anonymous

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February 12, 2013

To City of Saints: You humor is not humorous. MK violated the law. Period. It may not be the law anymore, but it was then. She acted like an angry school child and did not conduct herself in a professional adult-like manner (just as she acts in her comments to the MDJ--childish). The ordinance on the books at the time made it a crime to “behave in any way contrary to public peace or morality to the disturbance of any citizen of the city.” Spewing profane language at a public meeting broke this ordinance, so it was right that she was arrested. The only thing wrong is that MK made money off her childish antics. End of story. End of comments.

Umm...genius. Maybe you are assuming that the rest of the readers here don't know that in the world of non-profits, the IRS will NOT allow donors to 501c 4 - the type King organized - to deduct contributions from their tax returns. That severly limits finacial help. Your silly argument that you got from Max Bacon makes no sense. King freely admits he pleaded guilty to betting on sporting events. 36 years ago. He paid a fine. I know because I read about it in the newspaper several years ago and in King's column too. King and his gambling offense has been in the Associated Pres and all over the AJC. Try to find another hit?

Make that "they enforce the law for Americans who violate gambling laws, but no corrupt illegal alien helping mayors D.A. King". You must not be allowing King and his diverse pro-enforcement group to look for a better life. Doesn't that mean you hate them? PS - what is Max Bacon smoking?

Will somebody please explain to me what in the world Max Bacon is talking about? He wants to deport an honorable American but won't do anything for 10 years to stop illegal immigration in his Smyrna kingdom? WHAT?!

The more I see of D.A. King, the more I like him!

Earth to Mad Max Bacon: Breath, focus, re-enter atmosphere slowly. Then try harder to remember us Americans. And that you have made a fool of yourself yet again.

While I enjoy watching Max Bacon try to deal with his mental and moral superior, D.A. King, and spout weird meaningless gibberish (Bacon, what does that even mean?), I also want to take a minute to note that my own Mayor, Tommie Allegood could care less if we are paying illegals with our tax money. Big problem, Tommie.

Thanks for the info MDJ. This will all be part of the next election. Thanks to Mayor Tumlin for saying he is for IMAGE. When, we all wonder, exactly will he be acting instead of talking?

Anyway, Bacon - keep up the moronic attack on King. We all need a laugh and here is your chance to remove all doubt about your IQ we will be watching closely. MDJ! UPDATES PLEASE!

Illegals come into town, connect to the underground network of false documentation, set themselves up with enough docs to pass the basic unchecked smell test, proceed to undercut legal Americans on job sites and begin to pull in a steady stream of lower paid laborers.

The illegals that become foremen on government jobs and the illegals confident enough to start and run their own business are making huge amounts of untaxed cash.

The lower paid laborers are still accumulating cash, goods and new vehicles, by living 5 to 10 per house and knowing where to find free stuff, like doctors, dentists and Must Ministries grocery and household goods handouts.

The large contractors bottom line, profit, is a direct result of the laborers being paid 7 to 10 dollar per hour cash, instead of paying legitimate LEGAL workers a living wage between 15 to 30 dollars an hour, plus social security, workers comp, insurance, 401's , etc.

Thomas, if you can't grasp the very basics please just go play with your train.

It is useless to argue back, Thomas. I saw your point. Here's another post where illegals are getting paid 7 to 10 dollars an hour and drive new vehicles. Since they are supposedly illegal, they can't borrow the money from the bank (logic), so that means they save and pay cash. Geez, Louise, how long does it take at tops 10 bucks an hour to pay cash for a $30,000 car? In construction, no less, that doesn't work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. Somezing is not adding up in the above la-la-ville.

NoMoreIllegals

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February 10, 2013

We all need to start asking these mayors lots of questions! Like, Why would they object to IMAGE?

Kennesaw mayor Mathews obviously wants to be "pushed" before he takes action in his city!

Absolutely unbelievable that he makes public statements that make it seem he would ever be concerned w/ spending taxpayers monies.

He's had no problem spending millions upon millions to buy out & run off businesses along Concord Road and turn a $9 million dollar SPLOST project into an utterly wasteful & unnecessary $20 million dollar SLUSH fund to contractors & engineers.

Also, gotta wonder just how much did the city pay all their attorneys over a 3 year period, to keep the mayor & his minions from having to testify on the witness stand about my arrest(to show whose boss out here).

How the the hideous lights in front of city hall, at a cost of $750,000.. or the new exercise equipment, drapes & carpeting in a fairly new community center. (while the used equipment goes to department employees private offices)

What is the cost to taxpayers to have the full time landscape company (w/ quite a few employees that would likely turn up showing illegal status, if checked through the IMAGE program),run around in circles around city hall, so as not one piece of pine straw is out of place, while so many of Smyrnas neighborhoods are ignored & rundown.

While Mayor Bacon continues to hold public meetings behind locked doors, disrespect his citizens & bring NO NEW business nor encourage PRIVATE development to his vacant city,..DA King actually STANDS for something!

The mayor, nor anyone employed by the City of Smyrna or Cobb County, are not responsible for keeping private citizens houses and lawns in good repair. Any neighborhood in any city/county that is rundown is because of the homeowners' neglect. Can't put that pin on the government.

Pat H

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February 10, 2013

Mayor Bacon, please visit any pediatric doctor or dentist and look at all the big, new vehicles driven by people who cannot speak English, have a baby per year, and you tell me what they do for a living to be able to afford those vehicles. Guaranteed that those children have Medicaid paying for all services.

Shame on you for disparaging Mr. King, his passion for helping the Inmans, and his citizenship. He is not profiting from illegal slave labor subsidized by taxpayers like you and your contributors.

I'm confused. Are the illegal workers "slave" labor or are they flush with untaxed cash and buying flashy trucks?

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